Tack-handling implement.



No. 859,796 PATENTED JULY 9, 1907.

H. E. BACON.

TACK HANDLING IMPLEMENT.

'APPLIOATJON FILED MAR. 25. 1907.

HARRY BACON OF MEADOWVIEW, MAINE.

TACK-HANDLING IMPLEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jilly 9, 1907.

Application filed March 25,1907. Serial No. 364,420.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. BACON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Meadowview, in the county of Oxford and State of Maine, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tack-HandlingImplements, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an improvement in tack handling implementswhich is embodied in the construction and the arrangement of partspresently to be described and defined in the claims.

The invention is designed more particularly for use in connection withthe application and removal of tags or lab els to and from railway cars,although in its use it is not limited in that particular.

In tacking tags or labels on the sides of cars, it has been foundinconvenient in many cases to properly position the label on the side ofthe car, especially when the cars are on sidings, and especially so whenthe label is required to be placed well up on the side of the car. Thesame difficulty has been found in the removal of the tags or labels,especially where it is the rule to require the removal of the tacksgenerally employed for securing the same in place.

My invention is designed largely to facilitate the application andremoval of the labels or tags and with that in view it consistsessentially in an implement which is provided at one end with a hammerpart; a tack holding part; a tack pulling claw and a tack head cutter orblade. These various features are arranged for convenient use and sothat in its use the operator needs turn the implement in his handwithout an end for end reversal of the same.

In the drawings: Figure 1 represents in perspective the improvement.Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the parts in section. Fig. 3 is arear elevation, Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective View of the headshowing parts broken away, and Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively edge andrear elevations of a modified form.

A. designates the handle part into which is inserted a rigid metal shankpart B. This shank part is formed with an enlarged head 0 which iscurved and tapered at its outer end to form a claw 0 having the usualbifurcation or notch therein. The curvature of the head from the pointof the claw to at or near the end is gradual so as to procure a gradualleverage, as is usual. Springing from the side of the head proper is anelongated hammer part D, while directly opposite said hammer part is athin elongated cutting blade E, the blade being in effect a continuationof the hammer part, and in direct line therewith so that in theemployment of the cutting blade the weighted end I represented by thehammer part assists in the momentum and the effectiveness of the cuttingstroke. An advantage in connection with the elongated tapered cuttingblade, is that it can be employed with advantage in cutting or forcingout the heads of tacks or nails which cannot be reached by the clawpart. The blade can also manifestly be employed for striking below thehead of a tack or-nail slightly raising the same so that the claw cantake under the head.

On what I shall term the under or back side of the head C is formed aV-shaped recess F having overhanging side edges as at f. This recess isadapted to receive the head of tacks or nails which can be forced wellinto and held in position in the recess by virtue of the inclined sides,the point of the tack or nail projecting outward. The operator can byemploying one hand, hold the tag or label well up on the side of the carand with a tack placed in the receiving recess of the head, employ theother hand to drive the tack into the upper part of the labels or tag ata point beyond the reach of the hand of the operator. When the tack isdriven in sufiiciently to maintain its position, by moving the implementdown slightly the same is released from the tack and the operator by aquarter turn will bring the hammer into position for driving home thetack. I have found it convenient in forming the tack-holding part of thehead to under-cut the head from a point towards the end of the curvedpart thereof, the under-cut being substantially in a plane asdistinguished from the curved contour of the under side of the head. Bythis means, the general curvature of the head is maintained so that inprying out nails or tacks, a gradual tilting of the head can bemaintained, the sides of the recessed part serving as the part uponwhich the claw and head is rocked.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a slightly modified form of tack holder whereinthe head part itself is used as the driving part for the tack when inthe holder. In this form a flat metal spring H is employed having abifurcation leading toward the pointof the claw. The spring is designedto lie flat on the head and is curved to fit the contour thereof. Inthis construction when the tack is to be placed in the holder, the headis forced under the spring while the shank enters the groove in thespring.

While modifications can be made without departing from the nature andprinciple of the invention, in this connection I am aware that variousforms of combination tools have been heretofore suggested wherein a.claw and hammer part have been associated and also a blade part in theform of a wide chopping or hatchet blade or plate arranged opposite thehammer part, but as far as I am aware the particular construction,shown, described and claimed hereinafter has not heretofore beensuggested. .n in

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:-

1. An implement comprising a shank having a head, a tool projectinglaterally from one of the side edges of the head, another toolprojecting laterally from the opposite side edge of the head, a claw atthe end of the head, and a tack holder on the back of the head arrangednear the claw and formed to constitute in part the fulcrum for the claw.

2. An implement comprising a shank having a head, a claw on said head,and a tack holder on the head, corresponding surfaces of the tack holderand claw being curved upon the same are to constitute a substantiallycontinuously rocking bearing for the claw.

3. An implement comprising a shank having a head, a claw on said head,and a tack holder on the head, corresponding surfaces of the tack holderand claw being curved upon the same are to constitute a substantiallycontinuous rocking bearing for the claw, said tack holder being formedby undercutting a notched portion of the head in a directionlongitudinally of the claw.

4. An implement comprising a shank having a head at its end terminatingin a claw, said claw having a curved back surface adjoining thecorresponding surface of the head, and a tack holder integral with thehead and arranged on the back thereof below the claw part, said tackholder including a recessed portion of the head undercut from a pointfrom the under surface of the claw.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY E. BACON.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. MAXWELL, DELLA DAVIS MAXWELL.

